A year and a half later he got the girl
My plan for this audio essay is to tell the story of how I met a very important person in my life. It was simply one of those odd beginnings that would be interesting retold. To categorize it, the essay would probably fall under “A Life in Two Minutes.” The only two people who will be talking in the recording are Edward and me.
The basic concept is to share two perspectives of the same encounter. There would be a short background to the story, an excerpt of my life up until that point of meeting him at the start of the essay. At the end of the story, there will be a snippet of how my life is now. It isn’t exactly an interview, but I will from time to time ask him to share his opinion or what he recalls his actions/thoughts to be from the given moments. The elements of the story pertain to the setting being at a handball court, our respective ages, and the main conversation we held. The conversation will be the highlight of the story which would be given at least a full minute all to itself in the show; the other parts would at most take up 15 second chunks.
The broadcast would probably be from one of our houses, using just our laptops and their software. It’s a story that is relatable to most women, experiencing what it’s like to be hit on, but not many having the capacity to learn what the guy was thinking while it happened. Hopefully it will be something that is interesting to listen to for 2-3 minutes. I would need help on improving the sound quality of the recording so that there wouldn’t be as much static in the background.
3 responses so far
One thing I am curious about regarding your idea is how the storytelling will occur. You say you will “from time to time ask him to share his opinion.” It’s important to have him share his ideas, but be sure that there’s equal input about the story from both sides. What might be interesting is telling the story in a continuous line, but breaking it up into chunks, so maybe you describe arriving at the courts, he describes seeing you, you describe getting hit on, he describes his thoughts as he did it, you describe your response, he describes the aftermath. Basically, each of you tell your side of the story, but back and forth as opposed to one tells the whole story, then the other tells the whole story again. Including his perspective will also be particularly important if you want to involve the male audience as well as the female audience.
Also, find a way to leave a specific impact on the readers. Is this going to be a funny story (were there awkward moments? If so, it’ll probably be funny), a genuine, touching one? I can’t get a gauge because, obviously, I wasn’t there when it happened. You two were, so be sure you decide what kind of slant you want your story to have. Also, think about what kind of sound effects you would like to use to accentuate the meaning of the story or highlight certain points within the story. It should be an interesting story! Good luck!
I think your idea could turn into a great story. I picture the clip as invoking a “cute” love story type of vibe. Is this your intention? I feel as if a full minute is not quite long enough for you to tell the story even if you retell only the highlights. You mention the rest of your audio essay will consist of 15 second blocks. Will this time be used to give both his and your perspective? What is your overall theme? How will you incorporate sound in your recording? I think you have a topic that has much potential. Can’t wait to listen to the finished product!
I’m going to just throw this out there, but have you thought about maybe “reenacting” the story, and then interjecting comments throughout that? I’m not saying you need to remember the exact conversation – then again, you may have vivid memories of the event, which could be good too – but that’s just a suggestion on a way to present this audio story.
What are you trying to say about your story? I like how you’re planning on it being more than just your narrative, but are you trying to shed a different light on a situation that, as you said, most girls are familiar with?